David Laws 1937 – 2021
David Laws, who sadly passed away recently, served on the NEC of one of Prospect’s predecessor unions, the Engineers and Managers Association. For Prospect he was also a member of the Retired Members National Group; Chairman of his local Retired Members Group; and sat on the NEC pensions advisory subcommittee.
This tribute to David has been reproduced with the kind permission of the Association of Electricity Supply Pensioners.
Without David there would have been no Association of Electricity Supply Pensioners. David was always a fighter for justice and equality.
He perceived an injustice in the way National Grid planned to use its pension scheme surpluses. Taking on huge financial risks, David and Reg Mayes decided to litigate against National Grid.
Initially, he took his case to the Ombudsman and after five years of a titanic battle he ended with the case in the House of Lords. The decision went against him but cast a light on how companies were dealing with surpluses, and judicial comments during the various hearings prevented many future excesses.
The case also established the principle of a pre-emptive costs order. In a case such as this the resources of the company and the trustees dwarf those available to the plaintiff. This case established that the court should award pre-emptive costs to the plaintiff in the interests of justice.
During the case many flooded to the flag in support and as a result the Association of Electricity Supply Pensioners was formed. This support could be seen outside and in the courts on hearing days.
David spent all his working life with the Central Electricity Generating Board starting as an apprentice and subsequently as a professional engineer travelling to many power stations throughout the UK.
When not working he loved music reading and travel. His great loves were his family and tennis, he was still playing regularly at 80.
A great campaigner he fought all his life combating injustice. He would take to the streets to speak out in his hometown or join marches all around the country.
Retirement did not stop him. He attended local and national meetings of the National Pensioners Convention. He also founded a group for local pensioners and edited a newsletter.
Despite recent ill health he was a dedicated attendee of AESP meetings. He was always committed and never lost sight that not all electricity pensioners have “big gold-plated pensions”. Always enthusiastic, optimistic and with a twinkle in the eye, we will all miss his good humour.
Our thoughts are with his wife Carol and his family at this difficult time.
We have been looking to archive the AESP’s records at Warwick University. After consultation with the family and the university it has been agreed that David’s case papers be lodged and be available to researchers. In support of this lasting tribute, the AESP have agreed to help curate and list all the papers.
